It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email
to askdrgourmet@drgourmet.com and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions
regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we
receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific
questions about your individual health, please contact your
doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP | Terms
of Use | Privacy
Policy

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Is there any medical proof to the claims about pomegranate juice or
cinnamon?

Lately I have been hearing a lot about the benefits of pomegranate juice
from helping with prostate cancer to weight loss and lowering cholesterol.
Is this the new "wonder food?" Also, cinnamon seems to be another fabulous
supplement, lowering blood sugar is the main claimed help. I am wondering
if any of these claims have any medical proof?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

There is no "wonder food." It's a shame, because it would make our lives a bit easier, but it just isn't true.

There is some evidence that pomegranate juice contains a lot of antioxidants, and we know that consuming antioxidants can help prevent disease. In most research, however, it's difficult to make substantial claims without having large controlled trials. Time and again, small trials have shown positive results only to be disproven with large scale studies. While pomegranate juice has some encouraging small studies, it requires much larger research to prove this.

There is better evidence for use of cinnamon in folks with diabetes. These are also smaller trials, and there is actually conflicting research, with other researchers not being able to duplicate the results.

It doesn't appear that these are at all harmful, however. Keep in mind
that the pomegranate juice has calories that don't offer as much
satisfaction as eating an apple or even having a fresh pomegranate.

Keeping an eye out here for "wonder foods" here at Dr. Gourmet.
None found yet. Eating great quality fresh foods is still the
most reliable route to health.